


Before Time Leaves Us Behind

by nothisiscarlie



Category: Jumanji (1995), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Slow Burn, all that good stuff, questionable use of money to acquire a fake identity, you know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:27:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothisiscarlie/pseuds/nothisiscarlie
Summary: The game spits Alex Vreeke out right where he started...1997. Seconds later, it spits Bethany Walker out too.------------AU where Bethany takes the long way to 2017 with Alex.
Relationships: Alan Parrish/Sarah Whittle, Alex Vreeke/Bethany Walker
Comments: 63
Kudos: 301





	1. Prologue

It was over. It was finally over. 

Alex felt his knees shake as Nigel addressed their group, and it took everything in him not to collapse out of relief. He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, and glanced back, to see the familiar face of Bethany’s avatar smiling nervously at him. The nasty bruise that Van Pelt had left on her cheek had faded with the restoration of the jewel, and her hat had appeared back on her head.

“You okay? Van Pelt threw you pretty hard.” Bethany asked him quietly, and he nodded, breathless. “Thanks for throwing yourself at him, that was pretty cool of you.” 

“Well, you had him handled pretty good.” Alex chuckled quietly, . “I just helped a little bit.”

Bethany shrugged, but smiled regardless, and for a moment, it felt like it was just the two of them, grinning like madmen at each other. They heard Fridge clear his throat, jarring them back to the exchange with Nigel, who suddenly spoke louder, addressing Alex’s avatar. 

“Seaplane McDonough, let me shake your hand.” 

Alex looked back at his four friends, grinning. “Well, see you on the other side?” he asked. Bethany bit her lip, before reaching out towards him. There was a set determination in her eyes as she firmly grabbed his hand. 

“Together?” she asked, and Alex nodded, gripping the fingers of Bethany’s avatar tightly. They felt warm in his hand. They shared a nervous smile before looking back towards Nigel, who looked confused for a moment before speaking again.

“Why! My dear Professor Oberon! You’re leaving with him? So be it! Thank you for saving Jumanji!” Alex gripped Nigel’s hand, and felt himself begin turning to mist, and tried to focus on keeping the feeling of Bethany’s fingers entwined with his as he faded away.

And then, there was nothing.


	2. Chapter One

There was a flash of green light so bright that it felt like staring straight into the sun, and Alex felt himself land hard on a soft surface. He'd felt Bethany's fingers slip away in the darkness, and his hand felt cold without their soft warmth. He sat with his eyes closed for a moment, breathing heavily, and opened eyes to a bedroom he hadn’t seen for twenty years, in a body he barely remembered. The Jumanji menu screen stared back at him from his TV, and he inhaled sharply, reaching forward to shut the console off, when it sparked again, emitting another bright flash of green light.

As soon as the light faded, Alex checked his hands, relieved to see he was still in his own body, and, upon further checking, still in his room. He jerked forward, yanking the power cord out of the wall, and the Jumanji menu vanished.  
For a moment, the only sound was his own heartbeat in his ears. Then, he heard a delicate groan, and he looked to see a small petite blonde girl about his age standing up from the floor next to his bed. “Oh my god, what the hell was that, it didn’t feel that awful the first time.”

She was thin, with long blonde hair hanging in loose waves. She wore a short red tank top that exposed her stomach, with a pale pink and blue flannel tied over her jeans. And as Alex gaped at her, she managed to stand up and was examining her body with a sort of strange panic. “Oh my god, I’ll never complain about my body ever again, oh my god.” she said, before looking around, her gaze finally settling on him. “Oh my god.” she repeated, staring.

For a moment, he could hear a similar cadence to the voice that had been present in Professor Oberon. He knew, then, exactly who this girl was.

“Bethany?” he croaked out, his own voice sounding strange to him. 

“Alex?” she whispered back.

It was all he could do to nod, before the blonde…before Bethany flew forward, throwing her arms around him tightly. “I told you we could do it, I told you!”

“You told me.” he laughed, picking her up and hugging her back, her feet swinging slightly. “You saved me, Bethany! You all saved me!” 

When he'd hugged Bethany last, they had both been in different bodies. This time, there was a warmth that was just Bethany. Her hair brushed against his arm as she swung, and when she grinned at him, it was a smile that felt brighter than anything he'd ever seen before. They held onto each other tightly like that for a few more minutes, giggling nervously, before Bethany stilled in his arms.

“Where…where are we?” she asked, slowly, scanning his bedroom, her brow furrowing in thought as she took everything in.

Alex pulled back, glancing around nervously and wishing he had kept a cleaner room in the past. “Uh, my room, I guess. It spit us out where I went in.” He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“Where you went in?” she repeated, slowly, as footsteps sounded outside the door. 

“Alex? Is someone in there?” 

Alex could swear his heart almost stopped, the sound of his dad’s voice so achingly familiar and close for the first time in years. He glanced over at Bethany, panicked, and she got the hint, dropping and rolling under his bed just as his dad opened his bedroom door, looking irritable. 

Alex couldn’t bring himself to speak, instead, he threw his arms around his dad, burying his face into his dad's shoulder. 

“Whoa, whoa kid,” his dad said, rocking backwards from the force but straightening himself, a comforting arm around Alex’s shoulders, as soft feet padded towards them.

“Alex?” 

And it was only this voice that could have gotten Alex to tear himself away from his dad in that moment, as he leaned back to see his mother, a robe thrown haphazardly over her pajamas, looking at him worriedly, and he threw himself at her as well. She opened her arms quickly, pulling him in close, and it was then that Alex began to cry. 

He cried for the years he'd spent trapped inside that game, too afraid to continue. He cried out for those versions of his parents who had never seen him again, who'd gone mad with grief and let their lives fall apart. He cried with relief to finally be home. 

She shushed him gently, swaying back and forth and running her hands through his hair, his hair was so long, how had he ever lived with his hair this long? “Alex, honey, it’s alright. You’re alright. Shhh, it's alright sweetheart.” 

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there in his mother’s arms, although it was long enough for his parents to have a whispered conversation that Alex didn’t bother listening to, too busy relishing in the feeling of being home, with his parents, at last. 

“Alex, what’s going on?” his dad asked. “We thought we heard, well, we thought we heard voices…” 

“I had a nightmare, dad. It was really bad, but I didn’t want to wake anyone up so I was watching TV.” he said, pulling away to look sheepishly towards hoping it sounded believable. His dad didn’t look convinced, but his mother sighed. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” his mother said, pulling him back into a hug. “If it was that bad, you can wake us up. We’re your parents, no matter how old you are." 

And Alex remembered the last conversation he'd had with his parents before being trapped in the game, when he had told them that they needed to get off his case. He'd been so ungrateful, and it was that last conversation he'd thought of over and over again as he sat in Jumanji.

“I know. I know you guys love me. I’m sorry I was being such an assho-“

“Language.” his dad chided him firmly, and Alex chuckled, leaning away from his mother, wiping tears away. 

“Sorry.” he laughed. “I’m sorry, Dad, Mom. I love you guys so much.”

They stared at him, before his dad coughed awkwardly. "Alright, kid, well, as long as you're alright, that's all that matters to us."

Alex rubbed his face, nodding. “I'll turn the TV down. I'm sorry it was so loud.” 

“It's alright. Just be more aware.” his mother said gently, brushing some of his hair away from his eyes before walking out of his bedroom.

“Get some sleep, kiddo.” his dad said, shutting the door behind him as he left. 

Alex waited quietly, listening to the quiet footsteps and waiting to hear their door at the end of the hall shut, before shutting his door again, clicking the lock and then turning back towards his bed. 

"Bethany?" he hissed, softly. "They're gone."

She slid out from under the bed, a small white device clutched in her hand. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, it was...it was just really good to see them." Alex grinned. He looked down at what Bethany was holding. "Are you okay? What is that?"

She bit her lip, dropping her gaze to the floor before steeling herself, looking back up at him with a sense of grim determination. "You said this is where you went in, right? Your parents, they look exactly like they did the last time you saw them, right?" 

Alex nodded.

"That's not what your dad looked like the last time I saw him." she spoke slowly, her voice soft but determined. "Because the last time I saw him was when I went into the game. This is my phone, Alex. This is my phone, from 2017, when I went into the game."

Alex felt his heart stammer in his chest, and he opened his mouth but couldn't seem to find the right words to say. Bethany took a deep breath, her hands almost white, she was clutching her phone so tightly. "I think...I think that's what Nigel meant? When he, like, asked if I was leaving with you, but I didn't....I didn't know what it was going to be like for you, I just didn't want you to go through it alone again like you did in Jumanji and I-" 

She was beginning to crack, tears welling up in her eyes, and Alex moved forward as if on autopilot, wrapping his arms around her. 

"Bethany, I'm so sorry, I wouldn't...I didn't know. We'll figure this out, I promise. I don't care if we have to go back into the game, we'll get you back where you belong."

Bethany shook her head, firmly. "We can't, like, make any decisions right now. We're tired. Let's figure everything out tomorrow. What are the chances of your parents checking your room again?" Her voice had stopped shaking, and she gave him a look of determination he'd seen on Oberon's face in the game. 

"They won't. They just came in because we were laughing too loud." Alex assured her. "You take the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor."

Bethany shook her head. "No, I'll sleep on this side of your bed on the floor. That way, in case your parents do come in, they'll see you asleep in your bed but not me on the floor. This isn't the first time I've hidden from parents in a dude's room, I know the drill." 

Alex, flabbergasted at the way Bethany had managed to deflect the conversation away from the incredibly stressful circumstances, gestured vaguely towards her jeans and tank top. "Do, uh, you want something to sleep in?"

She nodded, and he dug around for a pair of sweats and grabbed a t-shirt from his closet, handing them to her. She reached down, untying the flannel from around her waist.

"I'll, uh, go grab some extra pillows from the hall closet." he said, furiously hoping his ears weren't as red as they felt, before ducking out of the bedroom quietly.

He tiptoed towards the closet, ducking quickly into the bathroom to stare at the familiar, but not too familiar, face staring back at him. His ears were bigger than he remembered, sticking out from his head, hidden slightly by the messy hair. The sleeveless Metallica shirt he was wearing felt strange, hanging loosely from his shoulders in a way that Seaplane McDonough's flight jacket never did. 

He ran his hand through his hair, almost overwhelmed by the amount of hair running through his fingers, before shutting the light off and continuing on to grab the spare pillows from the hall closet. 

By the time he returned to his room, Bethany had changed into the shirt and sweats he'd lent her. The Nine Inch Nails shirt hung loosely from her shoulder, and the sweats were rolled up and tied tightly around her waist to keep them from slipping. He chuckled, climbing into his bed as she glanced over at him. "What?"

"You're just tiny."

She made a face at him, swiping a pillow from him and climbing into his sleeping bag. "Goodnight, Alex. Welcome home." she said, in a soft teasing tone, before rolling over, her back to his bed.

"Goodnight, Bethany."

And though he was sure he was going to lay awake and try to figure out a solution to Bethany's....to their problem, the softness and familiarity of his sheets and the sounds of the house he'd lived in his entire life quickly lulled him into a dreamless, relaxing sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I write most of this chapter while I was on my lunch at work? Maybe. Are there mistakes? Probably. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex reminisces. Bethany refuses to deal with a problem. A box presents a potential solution.

Alex woke up to the sound of the front door shutting, and the smell of coffee making its way upstairs. He groaned slightly, rolling over, and saw Bethany curled up on the floor, still fast asleep. Everything hit him again at once. That he was finally out of Jumanji, home, in his own body. That he had been saved by Spencer, Martha, Fridge, and Bethany. That Bethany had given up one of her lives to save him, and now, she was here. Asleep, on his floor.

He got up quietly, running his hand through his hair nervously, and stepped out of his room, shutting his door behind him, and walking downstairs.

His mother was setting her mug into the sink, already dressed for work, and she smiled when she saw him. “Hey, sweetheart, did you get some sleep?” 

“Uh, yeah. Sorry again.” 

His mother chuckled, walking over to fuss over his hair. “Just be glad it’s summer break. Otherwise you’d be late for school already.”

Alex glanced over at the clock on the wall, and realized with a start that it was already 10 in the morning. “God, I didn’t know I slept that late.” 

His mother raised an eyebrow, reaching to grab her purse. “Alex, this is early for you.” 

Alex blinked at her, before forcing a chuckle out. Maybe, before Jumanji, he hadn’t been up at the crack of dawn, on edge and waiting for the next attempt on his final life. He barely remembered that life, and he’d been thrust back into it as if the game had never happened.

But it had happened. He might not have the scars to prove it, but the sleeping girl on his bedroom floor was proof enough. 

His mother had kept talking as Alex had gone down that particular rabbit hole, and he refocused on her as she walked towards the door. “By the way, I picked you up a new pair of shoes, throw your old sneakers out please, I understand that you’re going for the ‘grunge’ look, but there’s only so much more tape those sneakers can take, okay? Wear the new shoes, they’re on the table.”

“Alright, mom.” Alex said, as his mother blew him a kiss and hurried out the door. Alex sighed, looking around the kitchen, taking in the orange wood of the cabinets and tile counters slowly. He looked down at the floor in front of the oven, where the wood had a large dent. The year his parents had bought this house, his mother had dropped a cast iron skillet when she was trying to get it out of the oven. When Alex was younger, he'd asked why they didn't just fix it, and his dad had laughed, before clapping him on the shoulder and leaned down to look him in the eye.

"That's what makes it our house. You leave marks, dents, scars...but all of them are yours. Does that make sense, kiddo?"

It hadn't, but when Alex had found his shelter in the game, had memorized the feel of the words "Alan Parrish Was Here" carved into the bamboo, it had finally made sense. 

He glanced at the coffee, and grabbed two mugs, pouring some into each, when he realized he had no idea what to put in it. In Jumanji, once he'd gotten used to the taste, coffee was a rare luxury, and he'd never had anything to put in it. But Bethany probably wouldn't want that, would she?

It struck him again, how strange the entire situation was. Because of a game that he'd been trapped in for twenty years, there was now a teenage girl asleep on his bedroom floor. He didn't even know her last name. She knew more about him, but only because he had disappeared. He'd been an legend, a cautionary tale told to her. 

And yet, she'd given up one of her lives. She had saved him. He was home, because of her. 

He gripped both coffee mugs firmly in his hands, before walking back up the stairs carefully, and tapping his bedroom door lightly with his foot. 

"Bethany, it's me." he called. "My parents left for work, can you open the door?"

He heard a mumble, then silence, so he tapped the door again with his foot, a little louder. "Bethany, you up? My hands are full." 

He heard the sleeping bag rustling, and the door opened with a familiar creak. Sunlight shone in from his window, illuminating messy blonde hair, and Bethany blinking slowly at him. 

Alex felt his ears flush, before shoving his hand forward with one of the mugs. "Uh, coffee. I didn't know what you wanted in it, but there's stuff downstairs."

He pushed past her slightly, going to sit on his bed and taking a long sip of his coffee. She glanced down at the mug he'd put in her hand, yawning, then blinked a few times, reaching up to rub at her eyes, slightly smearing her makeup. "God, what time is it?" she mumbled.

"It's about 10." Alex said. "Are you, uh, hungry?"

Bethany nodded, setting her mug down and pulling a rubber band off of her wrist and tying her hair up in a sloppy bun, her motions still sluggish.

"Alright, let's go downstairs. We can make breakfast and then...make a plan I guess." he said, getting up and taking another sip of his coffee

She nodded, reaching over for her coffee mug and following him downstairs. When they entered the kitchen, she looked around, and chuckled. 

"What's so funny?" Alex asked as he leaned down, pulling the frying pan out to set onto the stovetop.

"This is just a very 90s kitchen." she smiled, walking over to the fridge and pulling out creamer.

"Hand me the eggs and bacon while you're in there." he said over his shoulder, and she hummed a response. "I mean, it is 1997, Bethany. So it's a current kitchen. Do kitchens look different in the future?" 

Bethany handed him the eggs and bacon, pouring a generous amount of cream into her coffee, turning the dark liquid much lighter. "Sugar?" Alex pointed at the cabinet above the coffee maker. "The orangeish wood cabinets go away. My parents had them, but my mom redid them last summer because white is very popular for kitchen cabinets. And people use granite a lot."

"Weird." Alex said, cracking the eggs into the pan deftly with one hand. Bethany watched him with interest.

"Cook much?"

"Well, I had to fend for myself in Jumanji. You get pretty good at a lot of things. Besides, cooking was another one of my...of Seaplane's skills. Picked up a few tricks."

Bethany sipped her coffee, nodding, and Alex turned towards her, frowning. 

"Bethany, we have to talk about this, you know. You don't belong here, and I...I don't know how to get you back there."

She shrugged, slowly. "I don't want to worry about that right now, Alex. Can we, like, talk about anything else? Please?"

Alex sighed, but the sound of sizzling forced him to turn around and check on the eggs and bacon. "We can't avoid it forever, Bethany."

"And I get that." she said, harshly, and Alex looked back at her quickly. "But if I think about it for too long, I don't think I'll be able to stop, and I'm just, like, not ready for that yet. I'll get there, and we'll talk about it, but please, Alex, not now." 

Alex nodded, putting his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Alright. But we're going to need to figure something out soon, because eventually my mother will try to vacuum my room and she'll see the sleeping bag."

"We can figure something out." Bethany said. "I think." She went quiet for a moment as Alex plated up their food. He set her plate down in front of her at the table, before touching her shoulder cautiously. 

"I'm not gonna...it's gonna be fine. If we have to, we'll tell my parents everything and you can stay here." 

Bethany rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's gonna work. Oh, hi Mr and Mrs. Vreeke. I'm from the future, and your son has lived 20 years trapped in a video game!"

Alex huffed. "Well, Professor, what do you suggest we do?" 

"I don't know!" Bethany yelled back at him, throwing her hands up in the air, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't go to anyone I know, because I haven't been born yet, Alex!" Alex groaned, running his hands over his face, as Bethany continued, her hands moving in an exaggerated motion. "Your parents wouldn't understand, there's no one who could! The only other people who played the game aren't here." 

She moved her hands again, this time knocking the shoebox off the table. Alex reached down to pick up his sneakers, and froze, staring at the shoe box. "Say that again." he said.

"What?" 

"That thing you just said."

"That the other people who played the game aren't here?" Bethany asked him, confused. Alex sat back up, holding the shoe box. 

"You're right. The other people we played the game with aren't here." he affirmed, and held up the box. "But we weren't the only people who played the game."

Bethany blinked at him, before looking over to the box, scanning it. "Parrish Shoes?"

Alex nodded. "Do you remember my camp? Fridge asked me about the engraving. 'Alan Parrish Was Here'. The guy who runs Parrish Shoes, I think his name is Alan Parrish. Our elementary school does this whole thing about the Parrish family, they basically built Brantford from the ground up."

"You think Alan Parrish, the richest guy in Brantford is your Alan Parrish?" Bethany asked, incredulous. "His kids were a few years older than me, but we used to trick or treat at their house. There's no way."

Alex shrugged. "No harm in asking, right? What are the chances of the game being in Brantford, with the name Alan Parrish in it? It's our best bet, Bethany. It's our only bet." 

Bethany took a deep breath, then looked up. The distress in her eyes had been replaced by cautious hope as she nodded. "Alright. Let's try it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh! I am so thankful for the support you all have been showing for this story! Please let me know if there’s any glaring mistakes, y’all are the best!


	4. Chapter Three

"We've been sitting here for fifteen minutes. You’re the one who said this was our only-”

"I know, Bethany." Alex glanced over at her, then looked back to the large white house they'd parked in front of. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, nervously, and Bethany reached over, almost unconsciously, and closed her small fingers around his wrist, her gaze soft. 

"Hey, it's going to be alright." she murmured quietly. "Worst case scenario, it was a different Alan Parrish. We'll say we were playing a prank. It's a good idea, Alex. We at least should try." 

He nodded, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and focused on the warm feel of Bethany's fingers on his wrist. She let go, then, and opened her door, and he followed suit, getting up and brushing himself off nervously. 

She waited by the walkway, wearing her jeans from yesterday and a forgotten Slayer shirt of his she'd found in his closet that had shrunk in the wash. Her hair was pulled back into a wavy ponytail, and her face had been scrubbed clean of makeup.

They walked up the steps together, and as they walked closer, Alex felt his heart pounding. Bethany reached up, and used the golden door knocker, and the drumming of his heart stopped. 

The door was jerked open by a frazzled looking Sarah Parrish whose face was covered in mashed potatoes. "Can I help you?"

Alex shoved his hands in his pockets, and cleared his throat. "Uh, we're looking for Mr. Parrish?" 

"Alan's-" she said, as she reached up to brush her hair out of her face, and when she saw the mashed potatoes on her hands, grimaced, then looked between Alex and Bethany. "Nevermind, it's fine. Come on in."

She ushered them in tiredly, shutting the door behind them and calling, "Alan? There's some kids here to see you." 

Alan Parrish rounded the corner, twenty years younger than Bethany was used to seeing him. He laugh lines around his eyes, and was balancing a small boy on his hip that was also covered in mashed potatoes. "Hey, how can I help you?"

Alex stammered, before Bethany took a deep breath. "Sorry to bother you, it's just, we were wondering if you've ever played a…game.” she trailed off, her voice going quiet. 

Alan and Sarah both froze, looking at them with pale faces. "A game?" Sarah whispered, the exasperation in her voice suddenly replaced with a tremor of fear.

Alex nodded, finding his voice. "A game called Jumanji." 

Both Alan and his wife looked at each other, then back to Alex and Bethany, and Sarah cleared her throat, reaching over to pull the boy into her arms. “I’ll go clean Ben up.” 

Alan nodded, stiffly, still staring at Alex and Bethany, before clearing his throat. “Well, let’s get comfortable. I have a feeling this is going to take awhile.”

He guided them out of the foyer, to the left, towards some comfortable looking sofas, and gestured towards them distractedly. "Let me just grab some water, did you want some?"

They nodded, and Alan practically bolted out of the room, heading to where Bethany knew the kitchen was. She glanced around. "They must have painted it." 

Alex raised an eyebrow towards her, and she shrugged. "Their daughter, Jessica, she's two years older than me, she threw a party here my freshman year. The paint was different."

Alex frowned, confused. "I'm pretty sure they don't have a daughter."

Bethany chuckled, although her eyes still looked mildly distressed. "Well, not yet, I guess." She shut her mouth quickly as Alan came back around the corner, carrying a tray with three glasses of water. He set it down on the coffee table in front of them, and picked his up, gulping down some of the water quickly and clearing his throat before taking a deep breath.

"Where did you find the game?"

"My dad found it at the beach-"

"The basement of the high school."

They had spoken simultaneously, and looked at each other, almost sheepish. Alan sighed, setting his water down. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Alex took a sip of his water, and nodded, determined. "Right, so, my dad went jogging-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooof this chapter just was hard to write! I know it's a little short, but I really wanted to get something up for you guys. It's been a long time since I wrote fanfiction (and longer since I published it), so I've been relearning as I write this. Hope you all enjoy it! :) Thank you again for all the kudos and wonderful comments!


	5. Chapter Four

It’s dark by the time Alex and Bethany finish telling their story, comparing their adventures with Alan and Sarah. The Parrishes learn about Spencer, Fridge, and Martha, and in return, Alex and Bethany learn about Judy and Peter.

They’d paused halfway through, when Ben had awoken upstairs from his nap and Alan had hurried upstairs to grab him. The little boy had toddled around the sitting room as the four of them spoke, hanging on the furniture and their knees for balance, unaware of the conversation happening around him.

“So the game changes. Of course it does.” Alan laughed, but the tone in his voice was far from humored. Sarah reached over, patting her husband on the shoulder. 

“It can’t hurt us anymore, Alan.” 

“But it hurts others. We should have been more careful when we got rid of the damn thing.” he shook his head. “I should have left it buried where it was.” He sighed, running his hand over Ben’s dark hair. “But that’s the way it goes, isn’t it? That game, it wants to be played.”

“I lived in your house.” Alex said, suddenly. “Inside the game.”

Alan looked up at that, surprised. “That’s how you knew to come here.”

Sarah glanced at her husband, a question in her eyes, and Alan smiled at her, an almost boyish grin. “I carved my name in the shelter. To mark something in that jungle that was mine.”

“You saved my life.” Alex said. “Your shelter. It saved my life.”

“How long did you think you were in the game?” Alan asked. 

“I thought it was only a couple months, but when the others showed up-” Alex trailed off. “Time…time is weird there. You’re not in your body, you don’t see yourself age. My avatar, he looked the same every day. I had no way of knowing. I only found out when our team realized who I was, and…and they told me I was missing for twenty years. But when we beat the game, it spat us out where I went in.”

Sarah looked thoughtful then. “When we beat the game, it sent Alan and I back to when we started the game. I’m the only person who remembers the Brantford without Alan Parrish. I think, since the game put you back where you came out, it’ll be the same for you.”

“But, why was Bethany able to come here?” Alan asked. “Why her, and not Judy and Peter?” 

Sarah smiled softly, reaching to take her husband’s hand. “Judy and Peter are happy and safe, with both of their parents there to tuck them in every night. I would rather them have that than remember us, Alan, and I know you feel the same. The Judy and Peter we knew don’t exist anymore.” She took a deep breath then, looking at Bethany intently. “The same with your friends, Bethany. When the game spit you both here, it changed the future you knew. It doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t think you can get back there.” 

Bethany nodded, not trusting herself to speak, before Alex took her hand. “It’s gonna be okay, Bethany, we can figure something out.” 

Their eyes met, and there was a fierceness to Alex’s eyes that Bethany recognized. She’d seen it before, when Van Pelt had held her at gunpoint. Alex had looked at her like that then, through different eyes but with the same intent behind them. He wanted to protect her. 

“But, hon,” Sarah spoke, her voice breaking them out of the moment. Bethany jerked her hand back, her heart pounding in her chest. “You can’t sleep on Alex’s floor.”

“Where else would I go?” Bethany asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“Here.” said Alan firmly. “We have plenty of space.”

“We don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Sarah interjected quickly. “But we know what you’ve been through, because we’ve gone through something similar. But this is the best option. We can get everything figured out, okay?”

Bethany nodded, slowly, “That…that would be great.”

The large clock in the foyer suddenly chimed out, and Alex stood up, suddenly. “It’s seven? I gotta get home.” He shoved his hands in his pocket, nervous, before fixing his eyes on Bethany. “Do you want to come back with me, or do you want to stay here tonight?”

Bethany pursed her lips, looking over at Alan and Sarah, who smiled. “Up to you, kid.” Alan said. “But, here, you don’t need to have food smuggled up to you.” 

Bethany chuckled, before looking back at Alex, smiling cautiously. “I think I’ll stay. I think they’re right, it’s the best idea.” 

Alex nodded. “I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?” 

“Okay.” Bethany smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went through approximately three drafts of this. Thank you so much for all your kind comments!!!


End file.
